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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · spring · swing · snap · ball · fork · plane · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bulb — for light
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. spring — of water
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ball — a great time
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. swing — music
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ball — a dance
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fork — in a road

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com